Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed.
We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight!
Courtney writes:
We are pleasantly pregnant with our second daughter. Sisters, how wonderful!
But geez, finding a name that holds up to the qualities of our daughter’s name has proven very difficult!
We are looking for a name that is not in the Top 100 (or 200 or 300 if possible), feminine, substantial and, frankly, as cute as Matilda. She is called Tilly, and we do love a nickname.
The name should begin with the letter B (first choice), E, or W because of religious custom.
We both love the name Hazel but it’s in the top 100 and doesn’t begin with our preferred letters, fail!
My husband doesn’t like Beatrice or Bronwyn. Matilda would love to call her Lulu as a nickname.
Please read on for my reply, and leave your helpful suggestions in the comments.
Hi Courtney –
How exciting to be welcoming a second daughter!
Choosing names can be tough when you have a specific list of requirements. Let’s recap:
Must begin with the letter B, E, or W, with B as the first choice.
Cannot rank in the current Top 100, and a name outside of the Top 300 is preferred.
A feminine name with substance and a cute nickname would be the ideal.
If possible, the nickname Lulu would be a bonus!
Is there any chance your husband might change his mind about Beatrice? Or possibly Beatrix? It hits all the notes, and sounds exactly right as a sister for Matilda. Plus, is there anything sweeter than sisters nicknamed Tilly and Trixie?
Okay, that’s not fair. I’m guessing if he was willing to consider the name, you might not be writing in!
Let’s brainstorm!
Eloise – Eloise currently ranks around the #250 and is rising. That’s the bad news. The good news? It’s an E name with plenty of history. Like Matilda, it has Germanic roots. And best of all? Lulu works nicely as a short form.
Briony/Bryony – Both spellings are in use, but while it’s familiar in the UK, it’s pretty rare in the US. Still, Bri- names for girls have fared well in recent years, so it’s not a stretch. The downsides: it’s much rarer than Matilda, and there’s not a logical short from.
Winifred – Winifred combines history and substance, with a great nickname – Winnie! It’s very rare in the US, but unlike Bryony, I think it would be familiar to many.
Bettina – Do you like Betty? It’s one of my favorites. You could certainly name your daughter Elizabeth and use Betty for short. That covers your preferred letters coming and going. But there are plenty of Elizabeth variations, like Bettina. Originally a nickname for Elizabeth, it stands on its own in 2017, a vintage, unexpected option.
Bernadette – Speaking of Betty, I’ve heard parents considering Bernadette, nickname Betty. Birdie works nicely for Bernadette, too – and I love the sound of Tilly and Birdie! Like Winifred, it’s a familiar name that isn’t at all common.
Bianca – Bianca, Blanca, and Blanche all mean fair. Blanche came first, a medieval French nickname. I think Bianca might be the most stylish today, boosted by the name’s association with Shakespeare, in Taming of the Shrew and Othello. Bebe would be a logical – and sweet – nickname.
Edith – Okay, back to the letter E. Do you like Edith, nickname Edie? Edith has Old English roots, and like Matilda, can be found in the history books. Tilly and Edie pair nicely together. Another bonus? Like Matilda, this name ranks around the #500 in the US. That makes it rare, but widely known.
Everild – Like Edith, Everild has Old English roots. It also has a great, built-in nickname: Evie. It’s all-but extinct as a given name, but it has a lovely and appealing sound. Of course, there are lots of rare Ev- names for girls, as well as a few more mainstream options, like Evelina and Evangeline.
My favorite, hands down, is Eloise. It hits all the marks and gives you Lulu as a nickname. It matches Matilda perfectly, plus gives you the satisfaction of having your daughter help name her sister!
Readers, I know you’ll have more great suggestions. What would you name a sister for Matilda, called Tilly?
What about Wynn? You could call her Wynnie but it is less clunky than Winifred.
I like Bea by itself as a name but it could work for any B name.
Those are my favourites but also
Bridie (stand alone or nn for Bridget)
Bonnie
Elaine (a lulu option?)
Elise (Liesl, lulu, Elsie)
I can’t believe I’m suggesting this, but Beulah could get you to Lulu. Ursula would be another option, but it doesn’t start with your preferred letters. Emmylou? Eden, nn Denny; Edwina, nn Winnie, Wendolyn, nn Linnie; Everly, nn Vivi.
Perhaps you – or at least Tilly – might be able to get Lulu from Eleanor?
Emmylou or Eulalie!
Bernice, Berenice, Eula, Elodie
I actually love Elizabeth, called Bess.
Matilda & Elizabeth
Tilly & Bess.
Fresh, sweet and long-wearing – but I don’t think you can get Lulu from it 🙁
Someone suggested Waverly. I don’t know what nickname you could get out of it but I think it is a great girl’s name. Also, I am not trying to be insulting but we have a big beautiful hen named Waverly. I mention her here because she was the sole survivor of a major chicken massacre last fall that wiped out everyone in her group (17?). She alone was able to hide underneath the hut and so escape. She sustained a huge wound to her back but we were able to patch her up and she is as good as new and back out with another group. So the name Waverly now connotes survival and strength to me.
Good luck in your search!
My favourite is definitely Bettina. I love that it has the same T sound in it as Matilda does. Tilly and Betty are super cute. Betty has a new fresh, spunky feel to it… there is new Netflix series Riverdale that loosely follows the storyline of Betty and Archie (like the comics) and it makes Betty seem like a fresh retro name. Add in old-grandparent names are definitely in style right now. Love that they are both five letter shortened names, both with double consonants ending with a Y yet have their own sound and don’t seem too matchy. Really really love this combo. Would stop here. Love it!!
My next favourite would Edith. Edie is super cute too.
Good luck!!
Luella, nickname Lulu
Beatrix, nickname Trixie (so sad your hubs doesn’t like it)
Clementine, nickname Clemmie or Clem
Ramona, nickname Momo
Frances, nickname Frankie
Florence, nickname Flora or Flossie
Theadora nn Thea